Technique

Hot pot is a traditional technique of preparing soup-like or stew-like dishes made with a variety of East Asian ingredients. The dish is prepared by simmering a pot of soup stock at the table, then placing the ingredients into the pot. Typical ingredients used in hot pots include mushrooms, thinly sliced meat, tofu, seafood, leafy vegetables, egg dumplings, udon, potatoes, and many more. Nowadays, there is a huge variety of hot pot dishes, and cooked ingredients are traditionally consumed with a dipping sauce on the side.

Hot pot

Itamemono is a Japanese method of cooking the ingredients by stir-frying. Meat, seafood, and vegetables are typically prepared for itamemono in Japan and there is a large number of itamemono dishes such as chanpuru and yakisoba. The concept of stir-frying doesn&rsquo;t originate from Japan but China, and itamemono has been very popular in Japan ever since the 1950s. The ingredients are cooked in a little oil over high heat in a short amount of time. As a result, the food is not overcooked or mushy. Some other popular itamemono dishes include moyashi-itame (pork belly and bean sprouts) and rebanira-itame (pork liver and Chinese chives).

Itamemono

India

Jalfrezi is an Indian technique for preparing a type of curry made by frying marinated pieces of meat, paneer, or vegetables in various spices (turmeric, coriander, cumin) and oil in order to produce a thick gravy. Apart from the standard onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers, the dish typically includes green chili peppers, so it can range from medium to very hot. Jalfrezi is especially popular in the United Kingdom, and nowadays it can be found in almost every Indian restaurant in London. Originally, it was invented in eastern India during the British Raj, when chefs made a recipe as a way to use up leftovers.

Jalfrezi

Khorkhog is a traditional barbecue that is prepared in large milk jugs together with heated stones. The meat and the stones are placed in the containers, and the water is then added, creating steam that cooks the meat. Invented by nomadic Mongolian tribes, khorkhog is usually made with bone-in cuts of mutton, lamb, or goat meat, as well as vegetables such as cabbage, onions, potatoes, and carrots. The dish is meant to be eaten by hands and it's rarely found in restaurants. Khorkhog is usually prepared by nomadic families living in the Mongolian countryside.

Khorkhog

Khorovats is a unique Armenian barbecue method where the meat is first placed on a set of high-quality skewers called shish and shampoors, then grilled on mangal, a grill often shared among neighbors, or less commonly, baking it in tonir, a built-in clay oven. Although any quality meat is suitable for khorovats, most often it is prepared with pork chops and pork ribs that are typically only seasoned with salt and pepper, and marinated for a short time in a marinade that should not contain any vinegar, as it affects the meat's flavors. One popular version of Armenian barbecue is Gharsi khorovats, named after the city of Kars, where meat is cooked on a revolving vertical spit, then served wrapped in lavash flatbread. Typical side dishes include roasted vegetables, onions, flatbreads, cheese, tomato-cucumber salad, and pickled green chili peppers.

Khorovats

Kinpira is a traditional cooking technique in which vegetables (usually root vegetables) are finely sliced and braised (or saut&eacute;ed and simmered) in a sweet sauce consisting of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and hot chili peppers. The most famous dish made with this technique is called kinpira gobo and it uses burdock root, which is served as a side dish once it's been prepared. Other common vegetables for kinpira include carrots, mushrooms, green peppers, and lotus root (renkon). The name kinpira dates back to the Edo period and a hero from plays and stories called Kinpira, who was strong like burdock root.

Kinpira

Kushiyaki is a Japanese technique that includes various skewered and grilled meat, seafood, or even vegetables and tofu. The ingredients are placed on bamboo skewers and are typically seasoned with either salt (shio) or a reduced and sweetened version of soy sauce that is known as tare. Kushiyaki should always be freshly prepared and served immediately after grilling, while the typical accompaniments usually include edamame, salads, or pickled vegetables. The oldest and the most common type of kushiyaki is yakitori which is prepared with various chicken cuts, and may also include offal such as chicken hearts or kidneys. Various cuts of pork, beef, seafood, and vegetables are also commonly employed. Different types of establishments serve kushiyaki dishes, including izakaya bars, while some specialize exclusively in this technique, and sometimes even in one kind of kushiyaki. Beer and sake are usual accompaniments to every kushiyaki type.

Kushiyaki

United States

The name London broil originally referred to a flank steak that was first pan-fried, then sliced against the grain. This basic technique evolved over time to include the crucial element of marinating the steak, then broiling it, hence the name. Essentially, London broil is a technique that converts a tough, large, thick, lean, and inexpensive cut of meat into tender slices of steak. Although it is called London broil, the technique has nothing to do with England, and it is a North American creation. It first appeared in print in the United States in 1931, and the famous James Beard says that its city of origin is Philadelphia. When prepared using this technique, the meat can be paired with a number of side dishes, while leftovers can be used in sandwiches or salads.

London Broil

Australia

Lovo is a traditional dish prepared with fish or chicken and vegetables cooked in an improvised underground oven. It is a staple of numerous celebrations, weddings, and festivals, and the whole process can take a few hours. A hole in the ground is typically lined with coconut husks which are then covered by heated stones. Fish or chicken and vegetables are wrapped in banana leaves and placed over the stones, and the whole thing is usually covered with dirt and left to cook. Once it is done, the smoky, barbecued food is typically shared among friends and family.

Lovo

Monroe county barbecue is a unique barbecue style originating from the American South. The barbecue style consists of pork shoulder that is cut crosswise on a saw into thin steaks. They are grilled over hickory embers, then dipped twice in a mixture of lard, butter, salt, vinegar, and very spicy black and cayenne peppers. As the pork steaks grill, they're brushed with the sauce, and once cooked, they are fully fipped into the hot sauce. Some people even like the third dip or an extra cup of the sauce served on the side. Most steaks are served with slaw (and often a potato salad) on the side as it helps to subdue the heat from the fiery dip.

Monroe County Barbecue

Nabemono is the name encompassing numerous Japanese one-pot dishes, cooked with a variety of ingredients. In restaurants, they are usually prepared tableside and served to the guests. The name derives from the traditional pot in which the ingredients are cooked, called nabe, while mono means things, referring to an array of ingredients used in the dish. Nabemono is primarily a communal dish, in which the pot is placed in front of the guests and filled with dashi broth, sake, and soy sauce. A myriad of ingredients, meat, seafood, vegetables, and noodles, are placed on the table and subsequently placed in the pot. When cooked, guests fill their individual bowls with broth and other ingredients. When the first pot is finished, the other is filled, until all ingredients are used. Usually, a bowl of ponzu sauce is placed on the table for dipping. Nabemono also includes dishes such as yudofu, when only the soft and silky tofu is placed in the bowl, and motsunabe, in which animal offal is cooked in the fragrant broth. This classic Japanese technique is found in most traditional restaurants, where it is usually served during cold winter months.

Nabemono

One of the basic cooking techniques in Japanese cuisine known as nimono refers to simmered foods which are traditionally a part of every meal except breakfast. Nimono is also the principal way of preparing and serving vegetables as well as one of the most popular ways of preparing fish. Before simmering, base ingredients such as various vegetables, fish, seafood, or tofu are usually blanched or parboiled in water, and then cooked in shiru stock over a long period of time, until the liquid is almost fully absorbed or evaporated. The shiru stock used for nimono is most often dashi, which can be slightly sweetened and flavored with sake and soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, miso, or other condiments. Depending on the combination of seasoning and the type of stock, there are several varieties of nimono dishes. Misoni or misodaki are typically used for fish or sometimes vegetables; simmered in a mixture of miso and dashi, flavored with soy sauce and freshly chopped ginger. Nitsuke is mainly used for simmering fish in a mixture of sake, soy sauce, and mirin or sugar. Shigureni refers to dishes simmered in dashi which was heavily seasoned with soy sauce, while karani uses only sake and soy sauce for simmering. Some of the most famous nimono dishes include nizakana or nitsuke - fish poached in sweetened dashi, sometimes with the addition of miso; kakuni - chunks of pork belly stewed in soy, mirin, and sake with large pieces of daikon and whole boiled eggs; and oden - a classic Japanese winter dish consisting of boiled eggs, daikon radish, konjac root, and fishcakes stewed in a savory, soy-flavored dashi broth.

Nimono

In Japanese cuisine, nizakana dishes fall into the wider category of boiled foods collectively called nimono, which are traditionally a part of every meal except breakfast. Also known as nitsuke or sakana no nimono (lit. boiled fish), nizakana refers to any fish that is gently poached in a sweetened dashi stock which is typically flavored with either soy sauce or miso. The first and the most important step for making the Japanese-style boiled fish is to do the so-called shimofuri, meaning to quickly blanch the ingredients before cooking them. This technique is used to subdue the strong natural aromas and flavors of fattier fish, but it also removes sliminess of the fish and prevents the broth from becoming cloudy. The sweetened dashi stock is often flavored with mirin or sake, but also with vegetables such as green scallions, gobo root, shimeji mushrooms, and sliced ginger, whose freshness and zestiness marries well with all the strong and savory flavors, while the boldness of the soy sauce and the sweetness from sugar and mirin mask any possible fishiness, taking any nizakana dish to another level.

Nizakana

Paksiw is a Filipino cooking technique that refers to various dishes that are simmered in vinegar. The method is used in the preparation of fish or meat-based dishes which can also incorporate additional ingredients such as garlic, vegetables, seasonings, and various spices. The most popular dishes that fall into this category include pork-based paksiw na baboy and paksiw na isda that employs fish as the main ingredient. Paksiw dishes are usually served with rice on the side.

Paksiw

Parrilla is an Argentine word with two meanings &ndash; it can be used to describe a typical Argentine steakhouse restaurant, or it can denote a metal grill used for preparing the meat and fish. The metal grill is a part of traditional asado barbecues. It comes in many shapes and sizes, but it typically consists of a main grill with a firebox (called brasero) on the side. Firewood or charcoal are loaded into the firebox, and once the embers drop to the bottom, the coals are placed under the main grill. The plate is often tilted on a decline so that the excess juices can drip downward in order not to cause any flare-ups. Parrillas can be found in numerous homes and restaurants in Argentina, and the meat grilled on it typically includes chitterlings, morcilla blood sausages, chorizo sausages, salchichas parrilleras, ribs, sirloin, skirt steaks, and tenderloin.

Parrilla

Paupiette is a French culinary term referring to a thin slice of meat, such as veal, beef, or chicken, that is stuffed with a filling, rolled up, and then cooked. The filling often includes ingredients like herbs, vegetables, and sometimes other meats or breadcrumbs. The rolled meat is typically tied with string to hold the filling in place and then braised, baked, or simmered in a sauce until tender. Paupiettes are known for their flavorful and moist texture, making them a popular choice in French cuisine. They are usually sold ready-made in supermarkets and by butchers and rarely made at home.

Paupiette

Japan

Robatayaki or robata is a traditional cooking technique originating from Hokkaido. Literally translated, it means fireside cooking. The authentic robata features skewered meat, vegetables, and seafood that are cooked over hot charcoal. Popular vegetables include onions, peppers, and mushrooms, while popular meat includes chicken, beef, and pork. Popular seafood includes whole fish and oysters. Robatayaki has a wide and flat fireplace in the irori-style (irori is a sunken hearth). It's placed in the center, and the patrons sit around the grill. Usually, small dishes are ordered continuously, and in a robatayaki restaurant, the lively atmosphere and presentation of the dishes are as important as the quality of the food.

Robatayaki

Rosvopaisti is a traditional technique of cooking meat in the pit. The pit is lined with bricks or rocks, and after a fire has been lighted, marinated meat and vegetables are wrapped in foil and placed into the pit. The coals are placed on top in order for the food to cook slowly. People usually use a whole lamb or calf, but smaller portions of pork, beef, mutton, and even bear or reindeer are also often used. The pit digging and preparation takes a long time (often 8-12 hours), so the meal is usually eaten in the late afternoon. The name rosvopaisti means robber's roast.

Rosvopaisti

Peka or sać is an ancient technique of preparing various dishes inside the eponymous bell-shaped cooking vessel. The technique is mostly used for the preparation of meat, vegetables, or seafood that are seasoned and cooked together with olive oil, other types of fat, herbs, and occasionally wine. The dome-shaped lid is put on top, and the whole vessel is then placed in an outdoor fireplace, while the lid is covered with hot embers. This preparation technique allows the ingredients to cook slowly and keeps all the flavors and aromas intact. Peka was once a staple method of preparation that was common throughout Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia, used not only for cooking meat, but for baking bread, pastries, or cakes. It is believed it initially appeared as an adaptation of primitive techniques for baking ingredients covered in clay, and later as an affordable option in households that could not afford ovens. Nowadays, peka is one of the signature techniques in Dalmatia, used to create hallmark dishes of the region such as veal (teletina) or lamb (janjetina) under the lid (peka), as well as octopus or bread baked under the lid. Apart from Dalmatia, the technique is also used in Istria and Bosnia, while it is also occasionally found in continental Croatia, Serbia, and other Balkan regions. The vessel is most commonly made from cast iron, though some traditional versions may also be made from clay. The lid is usually rigged and has a metal ring which is used to hold the embers on top. Dishes baked under the lid are commonly found in traditional restaurants, where you usually have to order it in advance, but some households also cherish this tradition and prepare these dishes for special occasions and various social gatherings.

Sač

Italy

Saor is a traditional food preparation technique originating from Veneto. The word means flavor in Venetian dialect, and in the past it was used as a preservation technique by sailors during their long sea trips. Saor consists of onions (with pine nuts and raisins, although they were originally not a part of the technique) cooked in oil, vinegar, and white wine. The most famous dish made with this technique is called sarde (sardines) in saor, in which fresh sardines are fried and marinated in a mixture of white wine, vinegar, onions, pine nuts, and raisins. The onions must be white, and the variety from Chioggia is preferred. When prepared in saor, the sardines are typically accompanied by grilled polenta for a complete meal, although the dish is traditionally served as an appetizer. It is best to consume in saor dishes after they've rested for at least 24 hours. In the past, in saor wasn't limited to sardines, but to sole fish and eels as well, among others.